Lisa Chesters (Bendigo, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Treasurer. How much money has the government given to businesses which are receiving the JobKeeper payment and using it to subsidise their balance sheet, whilst employees are running down their leave entitlements?

Josh Frydenberg (Kooyong, Liberal Party, Treasurer) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

With respect to the honourable member's question, the whole purpose of the JobKeeper payment is to keep people in work by reducing the cost of labour. It is helping businesses at a very difficult time. It's maintaining the formal connection between the employee and the employer. More than $2 billion has already gone out the door under the JobKeeper payment and more will go out in coming weeks.